JP5694814B2 - Seal letter creation device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a sealed letter creation device that can automatically perform the work of enclosing and sealing contents in an envelope, and in particular, by adjusting the position only when necessary using the measured position data of the envelope, The present invention relates to a high-efficiency sealed letter creation device that can speed up work and reduce processing time.

  When a company sales department or retailer manufactures DM (direct mail), ask the printer to print the encapsulated paper, and print the address printed on the envelope with their own copier. In some cases, paper printing and envelope printing may be performed by different printing means. In such a case, it is common to use a table sealing machine having a relatively simple configuration or to manually seal the printed paper in an envelope. Although there are apparatuses that continuously and automatically process from printing to enclosing and sealing, since they are expensive and require a large installation area, it is difficult to purchase them at a customer whose DM is not frequently produced.

  Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-151620 describes a sealing and sealing machine that includes a sheet folding unit that folds a sheet to be sealed in an envelope and can be used as a desktop sealing and sealing machine as described above. The apparatus includes an automatic sheet feeder that automatically feeds the topmost sheet from the loaded sheet bundle to the sheet folding unit, and a manual sheet feeding unit that feeds the manually fed sheet to the sheet folding unit. The automatic sheet feeding mode, the manual sheet supply mode, and the mix mode for simultaneously supplying sheets from the automatic sheet feeder and the manual sheet feeder can be selected and driven.

JP-A-7-52596

  In order to create a 1 to 1 direct mail in which the printed content of the encapsulated paper is different for each envelope, when using a desktop encapsulating sealer as shown in Patent Document 1, loading of encapsulated paper to be set on the paper feed stand It was necessary to make the order coincide with the stacking order of the envelopes set on the envelope feeding table. However, as described above, the envelope is printed in-house, but the output order is different between the paper and the envelope printed by different means in different places, as in the case of outsourcing the contents, Since there may be differences in conditions such as the presence or absence of interleaving paper, sufficient confirmation was necessary to prevent misenclosure when setting on the paper feed stand of the desktop enclosing and sealing machine. In addition, in the manual sealing work, it takes a lot of man-hours to prevent erroneous sealing, and the processing may take a long time.

  The applicant of the present application strives to solve such problems and conducts earnest research, prints on the envelope (or the envelope paper that becomes the envelope) and the content paper, and encloses and seals the content in the envelope to create a sealed letter Succeeded in developing a sealed letter preparation device that can automatically perform the work to be performed, and filed a patent application as Japanese Patent Application No. 2010-209546 on September 17, 2010. Although this envelope creation device has a simple and compact configuration, it is less likely to cause an encapsulation error such as failure to enclose the contents or mistaking the contents and encapsulating them in an envelope. It is possible to create a sealed letter, which is particularly suitable for creating a 1 to 1 direct mail.

  However, the applicant of the present application is proceeding with research to further improve the above-mentioned envelope creation device for which the patent application has been filed, while the invention such as the envelope creation device, that is, the necessary folding is applied to the content paper in the envelope. Even in an efficient automatic device that can be sealed automatically, it has come to be recognized that there are new problems to be solved. That is, in order to smoothly enclose the contents in the envelope, it is necessary to match the position of the center line parallel to the transport direction as much as possible between the envelope and the contents. The alignment method performed by the apparatus has a problem that it takes too much time because the operation procedure is complicated, and the processing time cannot be shortened by speeding up the work.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the reason why it is necessary to match the center line C between the envelope and the contents as much as possible. In the envelope creation apparatus, an envelope sheet 100 that is enveloped by being folded is used. This envelope paper 100 is provided with pressure-sensitive adhesive on both side edges in the width direction orthogonal to the transport direction, and is folded into a envelope shape while enclosing the contents, and then the bonding range of the both side edges 110 (shown by diagonal lines in FIG. 9) can be a sealed letter that is sandwiched and pressed by a pair of roller-shaped crimping means. Here, in particular, when the width of the content paper 30 and the width of the envelope paper 100 are close to each other, the side of the content paper 30 must be aligned unless the center lines C of the two are aligned as much as possible. The edge is covered with the adhesion range 110 of the envelope paper 100 in the envelope, which causes a problem that the content paper 30 and the envelope paper 100 are adhered when the envelope is sealed.

  FIG. 9 shows a control method of the content alignment means Z1 performed in the sealed letter creating apparatus in order to prevent such a problem. In other words, in the envelope creation apparatus, the alignment means Z1 is provided at the alignment position of the contents sheet 30 as a means for aligning the plurality of contents sheets 30 to be sealed and adjusting the position with respect to the envelope sheet 100. On the downstream side of the alignment unit Z1 in the conveyance direction of the content sheet 30, a folding unit (not shown) that folds the aligned content sheets 30 is provided. Further, an alignment unit Z2 for adjusting the position of the folded content sheet 30 in the width direction is provided on the downstream side of the folding unit in the conveyance direction of the content sheet 30. Further, on the downstream side of the positioning means Z2 in the conveying direction of the content paper 30, there is provided an enclosing sealing means (not shown) that encloses and encloses the content paper 30 in the envelope paper 100, and can perform an enclosing process. It is like that. In the vicinity of the sealing means, an edge sensor S that detects edge data by detecting a side edge in the width direction of the envelope paper 100 is provided.

  According to the control method of the sealed letter creating apparatus shown in FIG. 9, with respect to the deviation amount of the position in the width direction of the envelope paper 100 conveyed to the position of the sealing means, the maximum value (“ (Shown as “maximum deviation”) is appropriately set according to various conditions, and this is used for position adjustment in the alignment means Z1. An image forming apparatus is disposed in the front stage of the envelope creating apparatus so that printed paper or the like is supplied to the envelope creating apparatus. The amount of deviation of the envelope generated in the image forming apparatus, the envelope creating apparatus The amount of deviation of the envelope or the like generated during conveyance in the conveyance path is a condition for setting the maximum value. That is, the maximum value is predicted as a fixed condition by grasping these deviation amounts empirically. In FIG. 9, the envelope sheet 100a at the normal position where the deviation amount of the center line C of the assumed conveyance direction and its own center line is zero, and both the left and right directions in the width direction with respect to the center line are shown. Two envelope sheets 100b and 100c that are shifted by the maximum value are shown in an overlapping manner.

  According to the control method of the sealed letter creating apparatus shown in FIG. 9, the content sheet 30 is shifted in one direction by the maximum deviation corresponding to the maximum value as indicated by an arrow at the alignment position. Thereafter, the content sheet 30 is folded by the folding means and conveyed to the sealed sealing position, but is positioned with respect to the envelope paper 100 by the positioning means Z2 before being sealed in the envelope paper 100 here. That is, the sensor S at the sealing position actually detects the side edge portion of the envelope paper 100 to acquire edge data, and controls the alignment means Z2 based on this edge data, so that the sensor S is at the maximum misalignment position. The folded content paper 30 is moved and positioned in accordance with the position of the actual envelope paper 100 in the width direction.

  As described above, the envelope creation device previously filed by the applicant of the present application is an efficient automatic device that can automatically enclose and seal the content paper 30 in the envelope paper 100, but the content is enclosed in the envelope. When aligning, all envelopes are once moved uniformly to the maximum misalignment position at the time of alignment, and then moved in the width direction again according to the actual position of the envelope immediately after folding and positioned. Therefore, there is a problem that the operation procedure is complicated and takes too much time, and the processing time cannot be shortened by speeding up the work.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and is necessary by efficiently using measured data of the position of an envelope in a sealed letter preparation device that automatically encloses and seals contents in an envelope. The purpose is to adjust the position only in such cases, thereby speeding up the work, shortening the processing time, and improving the efficiency.

The envelope creation apparatus according to claim 1 is an envelope creation apparatus that conveys an envelope and contents, and encloses and seals the contents in the envelope.
A memory that stores alignment position data based on edge data including a deviation amount and variation of a position of a side edge portion in a width direction orthogonal to a conveyance direction of a plurality of envelopes conveyed in advance;
Aligning means for aligning the contents and adjusting the position;
When the dimensional difference in each width direction of the envelope and contents to be used is compared with the deviation amount and variation of the edge data, the deviation amount exceeds the dimensional difference and the variation is smaller than the dimensional difference. A control means for controlling the alignment means to adjust the position in the width direction of the content by the amount of deviation, and for controlling the alignment means when the deviation amount and the variation are smaller than the dimensional difference ;
It is characterized by having.

The sealed letter creating apparatus according to claim 2 is the sealed letter creating apparatus according to claim 1 ,
It further has a sensor for detecting edge data by detecting side edges in the width direction of the envelope perpendicular to the transport direction,
A plurality of envelopes are conveyed in advance, the position data of the side edge of the envelope is acquired by the sensor, the alignment position data is generated based on this, and stored in the memory.

The sealed letter creating apparatus according to claim 3 is the sealed letter creating apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 ,
The alignment position data stored in the memory is reset along with a change in the envelope creation conditions in the envelope creation apparatus, and new alignment position data is generated along with the operation of the envelope creation apparatus according to the new envelope creation conditions. It is acquired and stored in the memory.

According to the envelope creation apparatus described in claim 1, the alignment position data is created based on the edge data obtained by detecting the side edge portion of the envelope that has been conveyed, and this is stored in the memory. . When creating envelopes, the control means controls the alignment means using the envelope alignment position data stored in the memory, so that the contents are properly aligned and, if necessary, the position in the width direction relative to the envelope is appropriate. Adjusted to Therefore, since the contents can be immediately enclosed in the envelope after being folded, there are fewer unnecessary operations than in the prior art, the processing time is shortened, and high efficiency is achieved.
In other words, the control unit of this envelope creation apparatus can adjust the alignment and position by the alignment means by comparing the size difference in the width direction between the envelope and contents to be used and the deviation amount and variation of the edge data. Only when it is judged necessary, the alignment means can be controlled to adjust the position of the contents and the envelope properly, especially when the contents can be sealed in the envelope without any trouble even if the position is not adjusted. Does not control the alignment means. Therefore, unnecessary operations are surely reduced as compared with the prior art, and the processing time can be shortened and the efficiency of work can be reliably achieved.

According to the envelope creation apparatus described in claim 2 , the sensor detects, for example, the side edges of several envelopes that are transported first for an envelope creation job that uses an envelope and contents of a specified size. Then, a plurality of edge data can be output, and alignment position data can be created based on these edge data and stored in the memory. If the control of the matching means described above is executed using such data, the processing time can be shortened and the work efficiency can be more reliably achieved.

According to the envelope creation apparatus described in claim 3, when the envelope creation job to be performed using the envelope and contents of the designated size is completed, or the envelope creation conditions are changed in accordance with the designation of a new job In this case, the alignment position data used for the completed job or the preceding job is deleted, and new alignment position data for the new job is acquired and stored in the memory. It can be executed efficiently one after another in a short processing time.

It is typical sectional drawing which shows the structure of the sealed letter preparation apparatus which concerns on embodiment. (A) is a figure which shows the structure for implement | achieving a matching function in the sealed letter production apparatus which concerns on embodiment, (b) is a functional block diagram of the control means in (a). It is a top view which shows the structure of the alignment means provided in the front | former stage of the sealing means in the sealed letter preparation apparatus which concerns on embodiment. It is a typical perspective view which shows the structure of the crimping | compression-bonding part with which the enclosure sealing part of the sealed letter preparation apparatus which concerns on embodiment is equipped, and its sealing effect. FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a main-scanning direction misalignment correcting unit provided in a preceding stage of the pressure bonding unit in the sealed letter creating apparatus according to the embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the envelope paper used in the envelope creation apparatus which concerns on embodiment, and a part of folding process. In the sealed letter creating apparatus according to the embodiment, (a) is a diagram illustrating the contents in the sealed letter when the alignment operation is performed, and (b) is the contents in the sealed letter when the alignment operation is not performed. It is a figure seen through. It is a figure for demonstrating why it is necessary to match | combine a centerline with an envelope and a content as much as possible in the case of enclosure with the content in an envelope creation apparatus. It is a figure for demonstrating the control method of the content matching means in the sealed letter preparation apparatus which the applicant of this application proposed previously.

  The sealed letter preparation apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention described below, for each sealed letter to be produced, forms a sheet that becomes an envelope by folding and a sheet that becomes a content in an order that provides the best time efficiency. The upper part of the device is printed as a sealed letter that is printed continuously, folded as necessary while being conveyed along different conveyance paths, and finally merged to enclose the contents in an envelope, and finally the envelope flap is closed and sealed It is a device that discharges in line.

  Then, as will be described in detail later, this envelope creation device performs the alignment operation of the contents with respect to the envelope from the measured envelope position and its variation with respect to the dimensional difference between the envelope used for the envelope creation and the contents. It is characterized in that it has a function of determining whether or not to perform and performing a minimum positioning operation only when necessary to realize a quick and reliable sealing and sealing operation.

1. Outline of overall configuration and operation of sealed letter creation device (FIGS. 1 to 5)
1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 5 showing details of each part as appropriate.
As shown in FIG. 1, the envelope preparation device 1 includes a printing unit 2 that prints and discharges an envelope paper 100 that is an envelope and a content paper 30 that is a content. The printing unit 2 includes a plurality of paper feed bases P (P1 to P4) on the inside or the side surface of the housing 4 that stores each unit of the apparatus. In this example, the envelope sheet 100 is stored in a paper feed base P1 attached to the side surface of the housing 4, and the sheet-like contents that are the contents in the paper feed stands P2 to P4 provided inside the housing 4 are used. The paper 30 is stored.

  The sheets and the like that have come out of the sheet feed table P are sent from the introduction path to the loop-shaped conveyance path 5 and conveyed, and an image is printed by printing means arranged at a predetermined interval downward along the lower half of the conveyance path. It is formed. In this example, four inkjet devices C, K, M, and Y that discharge inks of cyan, black, magenta, and yellow, respectively, are arranged as printing means.

  The loop-shaped transport path 5 is provided with a first discharge path 6 that branches out of the loop in a substantially horizontal direction on the downstream side of the printing unit. Further, a second discharge path 7 for branching the sheet out of the loop is provided in the upper half of the loop-shaped transport path 5 in a branched manner. Furthermore, a switchback path 8 is branched between the second discharge path 7 and the introduction path from the sheet feed table P. The switchback path 8 is means for reversing the upper and lower sides of the paper in the transport path 5 by receiving the paper transported through the transport path 5 and returning it to the transport path 5. If this switchback path 8 is used and the upper and lower surfaces of the paper are reversed and passed through the transport path 5 twice, color double-sided printing that forms a color image on both sides of the paper with the inkjet devices C, K, M, and Y is performed. Can be done.

  As shown in FIG. 1, an envelope paper 100 and a content paper 30 sent from the first discharge path 6 of the printing unit 2 are received and processed at the adjacent part of the printing unit 2, and the paper is put into the envelope. An encapsulating sealing part 3 for enclosing and sealing is provided.

  The first discharge path 6 of the printing unit 2 extends horizontally and protrudes to the outside, and is introduced into the housing 9 of the adjacent sealing unit 3. In the housing 9, the discharge path 6 is branched into a second transport path 20 and a first transport path 10, each extending obliquely downward.

  As shown in FIG. 1, in the vicinity of the discharge path 6 introduced into the housing 9 of the encapsulating sealing part 3, the position just before the second transport path 20 and the first transport path 10 branch off. A sensor S2 is provided. This sensor S2 is a sensor that can be used in place of the sensor S1, which will be described later, and detects one side edge of the envelope paper 100 that passes through the discharge path 6, that is, one edge in the width direction perpendicular to the transport direction. , Output edge data. Here, assuming that the state in which the envelope paper 100 is aligned with the center line of the transport in the transport path 10 is an ideal state in which the amount of deviation in the width direction perpendicular to the transport direction is zero. The edge data means a “deviation amount” that is a length in which the side edge portion of the envelope paper 100 deviates from the ideal state in the width direction. Furthermore, as will be described later, when a plurality of “deviation amounts” are obtained by measuring the edges of a plurality of envelopes, it means the median or average value of the “deviation amounts” obtained by calculation in the control means. At the same time, it also means “variation” indicating the range of the “deviation amount”.

  The first half path 11 of the first transport path 10 is a guide path for transporting the envelope paper 100 to the first folding means. The first half path 21 of the second transport path 20 is a guide path for transporting the content sheet 30 to the second folding means. The first and second transport paths 10 and 20 are switched by a switching flap (not shown) provided at the branch point of the first transport path 10 and the second transport path 20 in the first discharge path 6.

  A sensor S <b> 1 is provided at the end of the first path 11 of the first transport path 10. As shown in FIG. 2, the sensor S1 detects one side edge of the envelope paper 100 passing through the path 11, that is, one of edges in the width direction orthogonal to the transport direction, and outputs edge data. The meaning of the edge data is the same as that described above with reference to the sensor S2, and means the “deviation amount” that is the length in which the side edge of the envelope paper 100 is displaced in the width direction from the ideal state. Furthermore, as will be described later, when a plurality of “deviation amounts” are obtained by measuring the edges of a plurality of envelopes, it means the median or average value of the “deviation amounts” obtained by calculation in the control means 90. At the same time, it also means “variation” indicating the range of the “deviation amount”. As a specific example, when each side edge of a plurality of envelope sheets 100 conveyed one after another is detected by the sensor S2, the position of one side edge of the envelope sheet in the ideal state is outward ( If each side edge of each envelope is detected within a range in which the position of 2 mm is the innermost side and the position of 6 mm is the outermost side (assuming this direction is the + direction), as described later The control unit 90 calculates the “deviation amount” as +4 mm, which is the median value of these values, and obtains the calculation result that “variation” is within a range of ± 2 mm with the median as the center.

  Downstream of the sensor S1 and at the end of the path 11, there is provided a first folding means that can be used to fold the envelope paper 100 to produce an envelope shape. The first folding means is provided with a rotatable main folding roller A ', a sheet conveying roller D' and a first folding roller B 'that rotate in contact therewith. These rollers are made of rubber, and the length in the axial direction is larger than the width of the envelope paper 100. Further, a path 51 having a paper abutting portion at the tip is provided at the tip of the main folding roller A ′ and the paper conveying roller D ′.

  From the main folding roller A ′ and the first folding roller B ′ of the first folding means of the first conveying path 10, the latter half path 13 of the first conveying path 10 extends in the horizontal direction. . The end of the latter half of the path 13 is led to the enclosing sealing means described in detail later.

  In this folding means, a tri-fold envelope paper 100 (shown in FIG. 6), which will be described later, is simply passed through without being folded, and necessary sealing is performed by the sealing means, which will be described later, to perform sealing. However, in the case of using quadruple envelope paper, the first folding means transports the paper by the main folding roller A ′ and the paper transporting roller D ′, feeds it to the path 51, and hits the end butting portion. Bend. The bent portion is sandwiched between the main folding roller A 'and the sheet conveying roller B' and is conveyed through the latter path 13, so that the envelope sheet 100 is fed into the enclosing sealing means in a diffracted form.

  Next, the second transport path 20 branched from the discharge path 6 is disposed below the first transport path 10, and the sheet fed in the horizontal direction from the discharge path 6 of the printing unit 2 is slanted. It has a first-half path 21 that feeds downward.

  In the middle of the path 21, the matching means Z1 is first provided. As shown in FIG. 2, the aligning means Z <b> 1 is composed of plate-shaped aligning plates that are arranged in parallel with each other on both sides of the transport center line in the path 21. Each alignment plate can be moved by a desired dimension in a desired direction independently while maintaining a parallel state to each other. In the path 21, a sheet conveying roller 22 and a gate 23 that can be opened and closed are provided downstream of the alignment unit Z <b> 1. By closing the path 21 with the gate 23, the conveyed content sheet 30 can be accumulated in the path 21 and stored. In this state, the alignment means Z1 moves based on the alignment position data sent from the control means 90 as described in detail later, aligns the content sheets 30 stacked in the path 21, The position in the width direction can be adjusted according to the position in the width direction of the envelope paper 100 that will be merged later by the sealing means.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a second folding means for folding the content sheet 30 is provided at the end of the path 21. The second folding means is provided with a rotatable central main folding roller A, and further, the first folding roller B, the second folding roller C, and one sheet conveying roller D are respectively provided to the main folding roller A. It is in contact with the pivot. These rollers are made of rubber, and the length in the axial direction is larger than the width of the content sheet 30. Further, a path 52 having a paper abutting portion at the tip is provided at the tip of the main folding roller A and the paper transport roller D, and the tip of the main folding roller A and the paper transport roller B is at the tip. A path 53 having a paper abutting portion is provided.

  From the main folding roller A and the second folding roller C of the second folding means of the second conveyance path 20, the latter half path 26 of the second conveyance path 20 extends obliquely upward. This latter half path 26 joins the latter half path 13 of the first transport path 10 in the sealing means.

  When the content sheet 30 is folded by the second folding means provided in the second conveyance path 20, the content sheet 30 is conveyed by the main folding roller A and the sheet conveyance roller D and sent to the path 52. , Abut against the abutment portion at the end, and bend. The bent portion of the sheet is conveyed while being sandwiched between the main folding roller A and the sheet conveying roller B, and the first folding is performed. Further, the folded content sheet 30 is conveyed along the path 53 and is abutted against the abutting portion at the end to be bent. The bent portion is sandwiched and conveyed between the main folding roller A and the sheet conveying roller C, and the second folding is performed. In this way, the content sheet 30 is folded twice and is folded in three, and is sent to the enclosing sealing means via the path 26 in the latter half.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the path 26 is provided with an alignment means Z2 for adjusting the position of the folded content sheet 30 in the width direction at a position before the sealing means. This alignment means Z2 is an apparatus that aligns the folded content sheet 30 with respect to the envelope sheet 100 in the width direction, as virtually indicated by an arrow in FIG. 2, and is always used in this embodiment. It is a device that is driven as needed. As shown in a plan view in FIG. 3, this positioning method Z2 is a method in which a conveyance roller 202 is provided on a conveyance substrate 201 which is movable in the width direction by a driving means 200 such as a motor, 30 can be moved in the width direction while being conveyed. Then, the content paper 30 aligned with the envelope paper 100 is sent to the enclosing sealing means, and the enclosing sealing is performed.

As shown in FIG. 1, a sealing means is provided at the junction of the first transport path 10 and the second transport path 20.
This enclosing sealing means has a function as a third folding means for folding the envelope paper 100 as necessary. The sealing means is also a sealing means for enclosing the contents in the envelope by folding the contents paper 30 after the folded envelope paper 100 is aligned. Further, the sealing means includes a sealing means for sealing the envelope.

  First, the enclosing and sealing means includes a rotatable main folding roller A ″ as a third folding means, a sheet conveying roller D ″ rotating in contact therewith, and first and second folding rollers B ″, C ″. Is provided. These rollers are rubber, and the length in the axial direction is larger than the width of the envelope paper 100. The tri-fold envelope paper 100 simply passes through the first folding means (the main folding roller A ′, the first folding roller B ′, etc.) without being folded, and then the main folding roller A ″ as the third folding means. The folding is executed in a state where the content 30 is enclosed.

  A path 46 having a sheet abutting portion at the lower end is disposed along the vertical direction below the rollers along the conveying direction of the main folding roller A ″ and the sheet conveying roller D ″ of the enclosing and sealing means. .

  A path 59 having a paper abutting portion at the tip is disposed on the right side of the drawing along the conveyance direction of the main folding roller A ″ and the first paper conveyance roller B ″ of the enclosing and sealing means. . Below the abutting portion of the path 59, water is applied to the re-wetting paste 107 of the envelope paper 100, which will be described later, to exert an adhesive force, and the envelope paper 100 is adhered to the re-wetting paste 107, which will be described later, to the envelope. As a means for giving adhesive strength, a hydration means 60 is provided.

  Between the main folding roller A ″ and the second folding roller C ″ of the enclosing sealing means, a path 47 inclined obliquely upward and forward is disposed. The path 47 is provided with a conveyance roller (not shown) and a pressure roller 80 as sealing means constituting a part of the sealing means along the envelope conveyance direction. As shown in FIG. 4, the pressure roller 80 is provided in two pairs of left and right as a pair, and sandwiches both edges in the width direction of the envelope paper 100 enclosing the content paper 30 from above and below. Then, sealing with a pressure sensitive adhesive 106 described later can be performed.

  As shown in FIG. 5, in front of the pressure roller 80, there is provided a misregistration correction unit Z3 for adjusting the position of the envelope paper 100 in the main scanning direction. The misregistration correction unit Z3 is provided with a conveyance roller 212 on a conveyance substrate 211 that is movable in the width direction by a driving unit 210 such as a motor, and includes the contents sheet 30 and is folded into an envelope shape. It is possible to adjust the position in the main scanning direction by moving the envelope sheet 100 in the width direction while conveying the envelope sheet 100. Then, the envelope paper 100 can be positioned with respect to the pressure roller 80, and the pressure-bonding regions at both side edges of the envelope paper 100 can be sandwiched and conveyed by the pressure roller 80 to complete sealing.

  The sealed letter produced after sealing is discharged through a path 47 to a discharge tray 48 provided on the top surface of the housing 9.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the sealed letter preparation apparatus 1 has a control unit 90 that controls the entire apparatus including the printing unit 2 and the encapsulating sealing unit 3 described above.

2. Envelope paper (Figure 6)
The shape and structure of the envelope paper 100 used in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a view of the tri-fold type envelope paper 100 used in the present embodiment as viewed from the back side (the side opposite to the side on which the address is printed), and shows a state in the middle of folding into the envelope. Although there is content 30 to be included, it is not shown. The envelope paper 100 is a rectangular paper in which three substantially identical rectangular paper pieces of a first paper piece 101, a second paper piece 102, and a third paper piece 103 are folded at a fold line.

  As shown in FIG. 6, in order to fold the three-fold envelope paper 100 into the form of an envelope, first, the third paper piece 103 is folded back on the back surface and overlaid on the back surface of the second paper piece 102. The content paper 30 is enclosed between the second paper piece 102 and the third paper piece 103, but may be placed on the surface of the third paper piece 103 depending on the procedure. Furthermore, if the first paper piece 101 is folded back and overlapped on the front surface of the third paper piece 103 (or on the content paper 30 located thereon), an envelope shape is obtained.

  As shown in FIG. 6, on the surface of the third paper piece 103, a pattern of rewet glue 107 parallel to the width direction is formed in the vicinity of the fold line between the surface of the second paper piece 102. Since the re-wet paste 107 has an adhesive force when water is added to the sealing means by the water adding means 60 described above, if it passes between the main folding roller A ″ and the second folding roller C ″ of the folding means after the water addition, The envelope is sealed.

  As shown in FIG. 6, pressure sensitive adhesives 106 are provided in a belt-like pattern at positions corresponding to each other on both side edges in the width direction of each paper piece. With the function of the envelope creation apparatus 1 described above, the envelope sheet 100 is encapsulated in the envelope sheet 100, and each piece of envelope sheet 100 is overlapped to form an envelope, and the pressure sensitive adhesives 106 face each other. To do. Then, as described with reference to FIG. 4, when the envelope-shaped envelope paper 100 is sandwiched and conveyed by the pressure roller 80 and pressure is applied to both side edges, the stacked paper pieces are bonded to each other by a pressure-sensitive adhesive. At 106, an envelope is formed.

3. Control using sensor S1 and matching means Z1 by control means 90 (FIGS. 2 and 7)
Next, the alignment operation of the envelope paper 100 and the content paper 30 and the control thereof in the envelope creation apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS. Note that the control means 90 shown in FIG. 2 is a means for controlling the entire sealed letter preparation apparatus 1 including the printing unit 2 and the enclosing sealing unit 3 as described above. Only the functions related to sheet alignment or position adjustment control using the alignment means Z1 and the like are shown and described.

  As shown in FIG. 2A, in the sealed letter creating apparatus 1, the edge of the envelope paper 100 is actually measured by the sensor S1, and the control means 90 acquires the edge shift amount as edge data. The control unit 90 generates alignment position data that is data for controlling the alignment unit Z1 from the amount of edge deviation, and holds the data in the storage unit for use in subsequent control, thereby performing quick alignment. be able to.

  As shown in FIG. 2B, the control means 90 includes a control unit 91 that performs data calculation and control commands for other functional components. Edge data sent from the sensor S <b> 1 is input to the control unit 91, and sealed letter creation information that specifies the type of envelope paper 100 and content paper 30 used for creating the sealed letter is input from the input unit 92.

  At the start of the job, the sensor S1 detects the edges of the first plurality of envelope sheets 100 in the job and sends a plurality of deviation amounts to the control unit 91. The controller 91 calculates a representative deviation amount as a median value or an average value from the plurality of deviation amounts. Further, the variation is calculated from the plurality of deviation amounts. The calculated “deviation amount” and “variation” are sent to the comparison determination unit 93 described later.

  For each job for creating a predetermined number of envelopes, the user gives the envelope creation information from the input means 92 to the controller 91. In this envelope creation information, the types of envelope paper 100 and content paper 30 to be used are specified. It is specified. In addition, since the size of the envelope is determined by the postal code, the type of the envelope paper 100 is usually limited to the one specified in the standard, but the contents are not limited, so the standard is determined in the standard. In addition to specifying the type of paper that has been specified, if it is desired to specify paper of an arbitrary shape, its dimensions (width and length) can also be specified numerically by the input means 92.

  As shown in FIG. 2B, the control means 90 has a storage unit M1. The storage unit M1 stores basic paper data such as the width and vertical dimensions of the prescribed sealed paper 100 and the prescribed content paper 30, and the combination of the sealed paper 100 and the content paper 30. Dimensional difference data in the width direction is stored in a table format. The control unit 91 causes the comparison determination unit 93, which will be described later, to output necessary dimensional difference data from the storage unit M1 in accordance with the sealed letter creation information input from the input unit 92.

  Although details will be described later, in the control of the alignment between the envelope paper 100 and the content paper 30, the dimensional difference in the width direction between the envelope paper 100 and the content paper 30 is important data. The data is necessary for determining the necessity of control by alignment and the like. That is, as shown in FIG. 7B, if the inner width of the envelope paper 100 is sufficiently larger than the outer width of the content paper 30, the envelope paper 100 may be sealed without being aligned even if the deviation is large. As shown in FIG. 7A, if the inner width of the envelope paper 100 does not have much room with respect to the outer width of the content paper 30, alignment may be necessary even if the deviation is small. is there. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the necessity of alignment for sealing is determined from the relationship between the dimensional difference between the envelope paper 100 and the content paper 30 in the width direction and the amount of deviation of the envelope.

  As shown in FIG. 2B, the comparison determination unit 93 receives the dimensional difference sent from the storage unit M <b> 1 and the “deviation amount” and “variation” sent from the control unit 91. Based on these data, the comparison / determination unit 93 determines whether or not to perform control for adjusting the position of the content sheet 30 with respect to the envelope sheet 100 only by the alignment unit Z1, and if so, drives the alignment unit Z1. The matching position data is generated and stored in the storage unit M2. If not, it is also determined whether to perform sealing as it is or to perform other control for aligning the folded content sheet 30 using the positioning means Z2.

  First, when both the variation and the deviation amount are smaller than the dimensional difference, the position adjustment by the alignment unit Z1 is not performed. Even if the content paper 30 is enclosed in the envelope paper 100 without adjusting the position, the content paper 30 is attached to the both sides of the envelope paper 100 in the adhesion range 110 (for example, indicated by hatching in FIG. 7B). This is because it is wrapped in a position sufficiently away from the center.

  For example, a case where the inner width of the envelope paper 100 is 220 mm and the width of the content paper 30 is 210 mm is taken as an example. In this case, the dimensional difference is 5 mm on one side. Here, if the median deviation amount of the envelope paper 100 is 2 mm and the variation is within ± 2 mm (a range of 2 mm on both sides from the median 2 mm position), the content paper 100 is used for the job. There is no need to move it.

  Next, although the amount of deviation exceeds the dimensional difference, if the variation is smaller than the dimensional difference, the position adjustment by the alignment means Z1 is performed. This is because if the content paper 30 is shifted in the opposite direction by the amount of deviation of the envelope paper 100, the variation is within the range of the dimensional difference and can be corrected.

  For example, in the example in which the dimensional difference is 5 mm on one side, the median deviation amount of the envelope paper 100 exceeds 5 mm (for example, 6 mm), but if the variation is within ± 2.5 mm, the content paper 100 is removed. Adjustment can be made by moving the envelope paper 100 by the amount of deviation (for example, 6 mm described above) in the direction opposite to the direction of deviation of the envelope paper 100. In this case, the comparison / determination unit 93 stores the median deviation amount sent from the control unit 91 in the storage unit M2 as matching position data. This job can be controlled by the alignment position data stored in the storage unit M2.

  Next, when the variation exceeds the dimensional difference, the position adjustment by only the alignment means Z1 is not performed. In this case, as described in the section of [Problems to be Solved by the Invention], the content sheet 30 is moved in advance by the predicted maximum value (maximum misalignment) by the aligning means Z1, and after folding. The position of the contents sheet 30 is adjusted by the alignment means Z2 in accordance with the edge position of the envelope sheet 100 measured by the sensor S1. In FIG. 2A, the portion surrounded by the one-dot chain line indicates that the alignment means Z2 is operated in such a case.

  For example, in the example in which the above-described dimensional difference is 5 mm on one side, if the variation exceeds ± 2.5 mm (for example, ± 5 mm) regardless of the median deviation amount of the envelope paper 100, the envelope paper for this job It is assumed that control for adjusting the position of the content sheet 30 every 100 is performed.

  As described above, according to this envelope creation apparatus, the first plurality (for example, 10) envelopes for each job for creating a predetermined plurality of envelopes from a predetermined type of envelope paper 100 and content sheet 30. Edges are detected for the paper 100 to obtain a plurality of edge data (deviation amounts), and the control means 90 calculates the median value and variation of the deviation amount of the envelope paper 100 in the job. Then, the control unit 90 determines whether or not the control by the alignment unit Z1 is to be executed based on this data and the dimensional difference between the widths of the envelope paper 100 and the content paper 30 used for the job. In this case, necessary alignment position data is generated and stored in the storage unit M2. Once the necessary alignment position data is stored in the storage unit M2, it is not necessary to detect the envelope sheet 100 by the sensor S1, and the alignment means Z1 is acquired using the alignment position data already acquired during the job. By simply driving and adjusting the contents paper 30 and adjusting the position with respect to the envelope paper 100, it is possible to carry out a quick sealing without failure and to create a sealed letter at a high speed.

  In the present embodiment, the alignment position data required for each job is stored in the storage unit M2 and used for control. However, when the job is completed, or the next job is designated and sealed letter creation information is given to the apparatus. If it is, the previous alignment position data stored in the storage unit M2 is reset, and new alignment position data is generated and stored in the storage unit M2 in accordance with the operation of the sealed letter creating apparatus according to new sealed letter creation conditions. You may be made to do.

  In the present embodiment, since the sensor S2 is provided in the discharge path 6 that is the inlet of the enclosing seal part 3, this sensor S2 can be used in place of the sensor S1. In this case, since the edge position of the envelope paper 100 can be known at an early stage, the edge data is sent to the control means 90 each time the envelope paper 100 is transported without storing the data in the storage unit, and the amount of deviation It is possible to adjust the position with respect to the envelope paper 100 by moving the content paper 30 only. However, in this case, since the position of the sensor S2 that detects the edge position is considerably upstream from the sealing means, if the position in the width direction of the envelope paper 100 further shifts during conveyance after the edge data acquisition, There is a possibility that the accuracy of the edge data of the envelope is reduced by that amount.

4). In the embodiment described above, the edge data of a plurality of envelope sheets 100 is acquired by the sensor S1 provided on the side of the encapsulating sealing section 3, and the control means 90 uses the envelope data 100 and the envelope sheets 100 and The alignment position data is generated from the dimensional difference of the content sheet 30. However, the sensor for detecting the edge of the envelope paper 100 may be on the image forming unit 2 side, and the data on the dimensional difference between the envelope paper 100 and the content paper 30 necessary for generating the alignment position data is also an image. The forming unit 2 may be supplied from a dedicated control means.

  The configuration of the sealed encapsulating unit 3 in the sealed letter creating apparatus 1 according to the embodiment described above is merely an example, and the conveyance paths of the envelope paper 100 and the content paper 30 in the sealed encapsulating unit do not necessarily have to be separated, either all or one. Both sheets may be conveyed with a time difference on the common conveyance path.

  Although the sealed letter creating apparatus 1 of the embodiment described above includes the printing unit 2, the printing part is not an essential condition for the sealed letter creating apparatus of the present invention. In the case where the printing unit is included, the printing unit is not limited to an apparatus integrated with the encapsulating sealing unit, but may be an existing image forming apparatus. That is, a normal image forming apparatus already installed at a business office or the like can be used as the printing unit 2 in this embodiment, and the sealed sealing unit 3 of the present invention can be formed by connecting the sealed sealing unit 3 to the printing unit 2. For this reason, the envelope paper 100 and the content paper 30 can be printed using a single existing image forming apparatus, and the installation cost of the automatic envelope preparation apparatus can be reduced. Further, as the image forming apparatus, the ink jet apparatus described in the embodiment may be used, or other types of image forming means may be used, and the image forming principle is not limited.

  In the envelope creation apparatus 1 of the embodiment described above, the envelope paper 100 is folded to form an envelope, but an envelope completed from the beginning may be used.

  In the embodiment described above, sheet-like paper is used as the envelope paper 100 and the content paper 30. However, for example, roll-shaped paper is used, and is cut and supplied to a required length each time it is used. May be.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Seal preparation apparatus 2 ... Printing part 3 ... Encapsulation sealing part 10 ... 1st conveyance path 11 ... One path | route of 1st conveyance path | route 13 ... The other path | route of 1st conveyance path | route 20 ... 2nd conveyance path | route DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 21 ... One path | route of 2nd conveyance path 26 ... The other path | route of 2nd conveyance path | route 30 ... Content paper 60 ... Hydrolysis means as an adhesive force provision means 80 ... Pressure-bonding roller which comprises a part of enclosure sealing means DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 90 ... Control means 91 ... Control part 93 ... Comparison judgment part 100 ... Envelope paper A, A '... Main folding roller as a folding means B '... first folding roller as folding means C ... second folding roller as folding means D, D' ... paper transport roller as folding means A "... main folding roller B" constituting part of enclosing sealing means B " ... first folding roller C "constituting part of the enclosing sealing means C" ... second folding roller constituting part of the enclosing sealing means D "... paper conveying roller constituting part of the enclosing sealing means Z1 ... alignment means Z2 ... Positioning means Z3 ... Position deviation correcting means S1, S2 ... Sensors M1, M2 ... Storage section

Claims (3)

In the envelope creation device that conveys the envelope and the contents and encloses and seals the contents in the envelope,
A memory that stores alignment position data based on edge data including a deviation amount and variation of a position of a side edge portion in a width direction orthogonal to a conveyance direction of a plurality of envelopes conveyed in advance;
Aligning means for aligning the contents and adjusting the position;
When the dimensional difference in each width direction of the envelope and contents to be used is compared with the deviation amount and variation of the edge data, the deviation amount exceeds the dimensional difference and the variation is smaller than the dimensional difference. A control means for controlling the alignment means to adjust the position in the width direction of the content by the amount of deviation, and for controlling the alignment means when the deviation amount and the variation are smaller than the dimensional difference ;
A sealed letter creating apparatus comprising: It further has a sensor for detecting edge data by detecting side edges in the width direction of the envelope perpendicular to the transport direction,
In advance in conveying a plurality of envelopes to obtain data of the position of the side edges of the envelope by the sensor, according to claim 1, characterized in that stored in the memory to generate the alignment position data based on this enveloping device according to. The alignment position data stored in the memory is reset along with a change in the envelope creation conditions in the envelope creation apparatus, and new alignment position data is generated along with the operation of the envelope creation apparatus according to the new envelope creation conditions. enveloping device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it is stored in the memory is acquired.

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